Soldiers don?t want to kill, but this is how they do it.

Human beings are hardwired not to kill each other. A person inflicting violence on their fellow man is restricted by their empathetic response. This is a person's natural reaction of horror, instinctively imagining what it would be like if it happened to them. They look at their opponent and see someone not dissimilar to them and can't help but mimic their terror. This has been tested neurochemically. The brain lights up when attempting to inflict harm in areas that create strong negative emotions for the perpetrator. This is the key limiting factor that prevents everyday killing.

How do humans kill? Natural born killers generally fall in two categories: 1. Psychopaths that are naturally born with a deadened or non-existent empathetic response. 2. Extreme empaths that when presented with harm being inflicted on their friends will do anything necessary to make it stop. These are both extreme cases not common in the general population but are over-represented in special forces.

Knowing this how does a normal person kill? Studies showed that in WWII about 15-20% of soldiers actually fired their weapons when faced with the enemy, and for those that did most intentionally aimed off so as not to hit. This is ineffective from a military standpoint, so significant research went into the subject to make normal people more efficient killers. It identified that range, shifting responsibility and drills best created the environment for normal people to kill. 1. Range allows the killer to dampen his empathetic response as they can?t see the target and the effect. A bomber pilot doesn?t feel the same as a rifleman that sticks fifteen inches of steel into a man?s belly. One is detached from the violence, while the other sees the horror and pain in the other man?s face as he drops screaming to bleed out. 2. Shifting responsibility involves being ordered, actively encouraged and rewarded for killing. This is primarily the job of the officer. He is the one that instructs the soldier to fire, allowing him to transfer blame as he was only following orders. He is also the one that commends him for his good job afterward. 3. Drills are the most effective method. By running over exercises in a realistic training environment, it conditions the soldier to be used to the blood, mud and shit of warfare. Soldiers train with human silhouettes where they are instructed to instinctively respond with lethal fire. In the battlefield this allows the soldier to kill an enemy before the brain has time to kick in and say no.

4. The final method is dehumanising the enemy. This is proven effective, for if the soldier truly believes he is no longer fighting a person the empathetic response doesn?t take effect. It is also the main contributer to war crimes, civilian casualties, mass shootings and some of the world's worst atrocities. An opponent that isn't a person doesn't recieve mercy, they are a dog to be shot. The military uses this to a limited extent in its jargon. People are now targets. Dead civilians are now collateral damage. Your opponent is just the enemy.

By changing training and equipment to incorporate these methods, firing rates increased to around 90% during the Vietnam War. There was also an enormous spike in reported PTSD. While you can teach a normal man to kill instinctively, you can?t teach them how to deal with it. If you would like to know more, please read "On Killing" by Dave Grossman FP Edit: I don't want anything. But spend a moment to think about your country's veterans and consider helping. They deserve it. (originally posted by @Foodprocessingmachine on 2018-02-23 08:37:43)